Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1887-04-07
SAVANNAH, TENNESSEE THURSDAY APRIL Z
PORTABLE Bridges.
A Recent Invention Which VIII Prove a
Great Comfort for Explorers.

PORTABLE BRIDGES.
A Recent InveLtion Which VIII Prove a
Great Comfort for Explorers.
The improvements that have been
made within few years in travelling
equipments have greatly increased the
facilities for exploration, while lessen
ing its discomforts. Savorgnan de
Brazza will soon take back to Africa
the latest invention designed to facili-
tate the work of explorers. If it is as
perfect as its inventors assert, it will
be a great boon to African travellers.
One of the greatest impediments to
exploratory work in all tropical re-
gions is the large number of rivers,
big and little, that must be crossed.
An expedition sometimes has to cross
three or four streams in single day.
Often the stream is unfordable, and
the party has to walk miles to find
boats or ford. Where the river can
be forded the explorers pass over on
the shoulders of their stout carriers.
Sometimes a careless or unfortunate
porter drops box or bundle of valua-
bles in the water. and it is ruined or
lost. Every body will remember the
picture in one of Stanley's books rep
resenting the explorer as standing on
the bank of a rapid river, aiming his
rifle at one of his porters, whom he
threatens to shoot if he drops his load.
The poor fellow, submerged to his
neck, is struggling slowly along with
Stanley's precious box of records on
his head.
The French Congo is cut up by al
most innumerable streams. When de
Brazza goes back there he will take
with him two portable bridges. They
are new invention just patented by q
great company of French machinists.
These bridges are each thirty meters,
or about one hundred feet in length,
which exceeds the width of most
African rivers. 1t is asserted that sol
diers, sailors or natives will be able tC
put up one of these bridges complete
in three-quarters of an hour, and that
men, mules and heavily-laden wagon:
can safely cross upon them. They are
of course, divisible into small pieces
and can be transported on the backs O.
porters across savage and roadles'
countries.
Explorers are now more firmly con
vinced than they used to be of tn,
necessity of making themselves a
comfortable as the circumstanc,
will permit, and so they pro
vide themselves with roomy tents
iron bedsteads, cork beds, rub
Der bath tubs, folding chairs, portable
tables and other conveniences of civil
zation. They think, in tropical coun
tries especially, that any attempt t.
rough it more than is actually neces
sary is simply to invite disaster. Th'
improvements also that have beel
made in their scientific instrument
and food supplies have much facilitated
their work and added to their comfort
By the invention Of dry gelatine plate
travellers have been ablg to discar,
their rude and inadequate drawings fo
the more satisfactory processes o
photography. The comparatively nev
practice of canning all sorts of provi
sions is great boon to explorers. l
is found even in tropical climates tina
canned soups, meats and vegetable
will keep for an almost unlimite,
length of time. In this way explorer
now take along for their pri
vate table little delicacies whicl
their predecessors could not oh
tain, and the empty tin cans il
most parts of Africa make very goo,
money, as the natives regard them a
valuable presents.
In the past fifty years there have no
been any great improvements in tn
geographical instruments used by ex
plorers, though in their present forr
they are more handy and portable tha
they used to be. Modern stem-windin
and water-tight watches are grea
convenience, and SO are portable boat
made in sections, comparatively re
cent invention.
The greatest advantage, however
enjoyed by recent travellers is the cas-
with which distant parts of the worl
are now reached. Fifty years ago W
were one hundred days distant fror
the Cape of Good Hope and one hur
dred and fifty days from Bombay. No,
the explorer is not only carried wit
celebrity across the sea, but, as rule
he can make use of modern facilities {
travel almost to the very threshold {
the region he intends to explore.-N
Y. Sun.